Device for operating bells by means of door knobs



Sept. 23, 1930.- s. HOFFMAN 1,776,729

DEVICE FOR. OPERATING BELLS BY MEANS OF DOOR KNOBS Filed Aug. 7, 1929INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES SIMON HOFFMAN,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING BELLS BY MEANS OF DOOR KNOBS Application filedAugust 7, 1929. Serial No. 384,154.

This invention relates to annunciators, and more particularly to asignal, as for instance a bell, actuated or caused'to operate by meansof a door knob, handle, latch or the like ordinarily used for opening adoor or other enclosure so that the act of unlatching the door will beaccompanied by an announcement or signal, audible or otherwise.

A prime object of the invention is to equip a dooror the like witharinging annunciator operated by a door knob or the like.

A further object is to enable a door-knob or the like to operate'a bellor the like when the door knob is turned in either direction.Astillfurther object is to equip a door with a bell ringing annunciatordevice operated by the door knob connecting spindle, the device beingattachable to practically any standard type of door.

Inaccordance with the above, the dool knob connecting spindle may beequipped with an actuator member non-rotatably mounted thereon, thismember having a pair of rods pivotally mounted thereon; and these rodsmay be adapted to engage the operating plunger of a bell or the like,the bell being mounted on the door, adjacent to the knob, wherebyrotation of the spindle will depress one of the rods and'hence operatethe bell.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafterspecifically pointed out, or will become apparent," as thespecification proceeds.

WVith the above indicated objects m'v ew, the invention resides incertain novel con structions and combinations and arrange' merit ofparts, clearly described in the following specification and fullyillustrated in the .accompanying drawings, which latter show embodimentsof the invention as at present preferred.

In said drawings: V

Figure 1s a front elevation of the device partly broken away, as thedevice appears in use upon a door. y I

' Figure *2 is a vertical sectional view through the device as shown inFigure 1. Figures isaperspective view of'the actiiator member.

In the drawings I have shown my invention as applied to a door 10 whichmay be, of any standard or conventional construction. This door isequipped with a latch 11 adaptedjto be operated by rotationof thespindle 12 by means of one of the knobs 13 in 'a well known manner, thespindle in this instance being square in cross-section.

The bell operating device illustrated hereinincludes an elongated sheetmetal back plate 14 adapted to be secured to the face of the door,preferably on the inside, by means of screws 15 or thelike this plate 14having an aperture 16 through which the spindle 12 may extend.

The back plate 14 is preferably formed to provide a housing portion 17adjacent its lower end and a suitable bell 18, having an operating lever19 mounted on the plate14, within the housing 17, as for instance bybeing riveted to the back plate 14. The bell 18 may be spring operated,or on other conventional type. The operating lever 19 preferably has anenlarged end portion or step 21. positioned in alignment with the doorknob spindle 12. The housing 17 may be provided witha front opening ofany desired shape for purposes of ornamentation as well as to expose thebell 18.

Upon the spindle 12 I mount the actuator member 22, this actuator memberin the present instance consisting of a relatively flat plate, such as awasher or the like,ha'ving a squared central aperture, 20 toreceive the:squared spindle 12 in non-rotatable re-. lationship.

At opposite sides of the actuator member 22 I provide a pair ofelongated operating rods 23 and 24 respectively, theupp'er ends of theserods being preferably pivotally mounted in holes 25 and 26 providedintlie actuator member 22. The rods 23 and 24 are preferably flat, likethe actuator member 22; and the lower ends of the rods are provided withfeet 27 and 28 respectively, adapted to normally rest upon the enlargedportion 21 of the bell operating lever 19. The plate 14 may be cut awayas indicated at 29 to provide a suitable guiding means for the rods 23and 24 as they move freely up or down.

I adapted to be placed over the. back plate l1 he escutcheon. or keyhole'plate 30 is? to enclose and practically conceal the back plate let,the key hole plate 30 being secured in place by the screws 15 whichmaycntcnd through the back plate 14 and into the door. The upper part ofthe bell housing 1? may have an opening 32 to receive the lower end ofthe front plate 80.

As will be clear from the drawing, rotation of the door knob in onedirection or the other will depress one of the rods 23 or thus alsodepressing the bell lever 19 and hence causing ringing of the bell bymeans of the latters internal mechanism, which latter forms no part ofthe present invention, however, since the bell may be of conventi on alform.

Thus, the act of opening or unlatching the door willproduce a warningsignal Or alarm for the occupant of the premises, and, will also serveas a protection by surprising any intruder seeking unauthorized entranceto the premises. The visitor furnishes the power to operate the bellwhile opening the door, thus rendering it unnecessary to use electricbatteries or independently manipn lated bells or alarm devices.

The device as described herein is simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, easy to attach to any standard type of door knob, andoperates positively and with great facility. r

The hereinbefore described construction admits of considerablemodification without departing from the invention; therefore, I do notwish to be limited to the precise arrangements shown and described,which are aforesaid, byway of illustration merely. In other words, thescope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appendedclaims, interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art.

What I claim is: p

1. The combination with a door or the like having an uulatching device,of an alarm device, and means actuated by said unlatching device tooperate said alarmdevice,lsaid means including. an actuator memberassociated With said unlatching device, a bell mounted adjacent to saidunlatching device and means including a rod operative between saidactuator member and said bell, whereby movement of said unlatchingdevice operates said bell.

2. The combination with a door latch or the like, of an alarm device,and means actuated by movement of said door latch to operate said alarm,said means including an actuator member associated with said door latch,an alarm bell mounted on said door, an elongated rod secured to saidactuator member, one end of said rod engaging said bell for ringing saidbell during operation of said door latch.

3. The combination with a door or the like having opening meansincluding a door knob and a spindle for said knob, of an alarm device,and means actuated by movement of said s aindle to o aerate said alarmdevice said means including an actuator member mounted on said spindle,an elongated rod mounted on said actuator member, one end of said rodengaging said alarm device to operate the latter during rotation of saidspindle.

4-. The combination with a door or the like having opening meansincluding a door knob and a spindle for said knob, of an alarm device,and .me as actuated by movement of said knob and spindle to operate saidalarm device, said means including aback plate secured to the face ofthe door, said back plate having an opening for said spindle, saidspindle angular in cross section, an actuator member mounted on saidspindle, a bell mounted on said back plate, an operating lever on saidbell, connecting means pivotally secured to said actuator member, saidconnecting means engaging said bell operating lever, to operate thelatter during rotation of said spindle.

5. The combination with a doorv or the like having opening meansincluding a door knob and a spindle for said knob, of an alarm device,and means actuated by movement of said knob and spindle to operate saidalarm device, said means including a back plate secured to the face ofthe door, said spindle being angular in cross section, an actuatormember positioned on said spindle, said actuator member comprising aflat disk, a bell mounted on said back plate, an operating lever onsaid'bell, a pair of elongated rods pivotally secured to said actuatormember, the lowerends of said rods having portions en gaging said belloperating lever to operate said lever during movement of said door knob,and a key plate positioned over said back plate to enclose said rods andactuator member, said key plate including guiding means for said rods.

6. The combination with a door or the like having opening meansincluding a door knob and a spindle for said knob, of an alarm device,and means actuated by movement of said knob and spindle to operate saidalarm, said means including a plate secured to the face of the door,said plate having an opening for said spindle, an actuator membernon-rotatably mounted relative to said spindle, said actuator membercomprising a fiat disk, an alarm bell mounted on said plate, anoperating lever on said bell, a pair of downwardly extending elongatedrods pivotally mounted at opposite sides ofsaid actuatormember, thelower ends of said rods engaging said bell operating 1ever, to operatesaid bell when said spindle is rotated.

7 Thecombination with a door or the like having opening means includinga door knob and a spindle for said knob, of an alarm device, and meansactuated by movement of said knob and spindle to operate said alarmdevice, said means including a back plate se- 7 tending elongated rodspivotally mounted at opposite sides of said actuator member, the lowerends of said rods having enlarged portions engaging said bell operatinglever, a

key plate positioned over said back plate to enclose said rods andactuator member, said key plate including guiding means for said rods.

8. An alarm actuating device for doors comprising in combination with adoor havsite directions; and a bell, said bell including an operatinglever, which latter is provided with a horizontal step and aligned withsaidspindle; a disc mounted on said spindle and turnable with saidspindle, said disc having horizontally aligned spaced apertures therein,said apertures being further apart than the opposed ends of said step,and a pair of inclined rods terminally pivotally mounted in saidapertures and terminally engaging the opposite ends of said step,whereby on turning said spindle in either direction oneof said rods isefiectlve to urge said lever for operating said bell.

SIMON HOFFMAN.

mg a spindle, said spindle turnable in oppo-

